glycerin in winter? don’t be scared!
we’ve been getting emails lately from people who are terrified of using glycerin-containing products during the winter. apparently, there is a nasty rumor going around that products containing glyerin + winter weather, automatically equals dry hair. we actually addressed this issue about a year ago in episode 3 of our podcast, suggesting that using just before a [warm, steamy] shower was a great way to ‘winterize’ your use of humectant products. but just in case you missed it, here are some more bullet points to consider. 
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1. glycerin is a humectant, which means that it attracts moisture to itself. in a humid environment it helps your hair to attract and retain moisture.
2. in an environment with zero humidity (a desert climate) some worry that the glycerin can pull moisture out of your hair, b/c there’s none in the air and the hungry hungry glycerin wants some water, at any cost!!
3. all of our products which contain glycerin, also contain water. so there is water within the product available to the glycerin, and all of it helps your hair to remain hydrated. if you are using other glycerin-containing products or making your own, one thing to watch would be to ensure that they contain water as well.
4. to ‘winterize’ or ‘desert-friendly’ your use of humectants, one simple idea is to use the product before a shower. the mist and steam of the shower will be attracted to the glycerin in the products, and the heat will help it absorb into your cuticle. then you can use an oil-based sealer to keep that moisture in when you go out into the harsh, harsh world.
5. in many climates, the winter is less humid than the summer, but this is not necessarily the case everywhere. many oyin honeys have zero problems using our humectant sprays or other glycerin containing products throughout the year – the thing to watch is the humidity level, more so than the temperature. don’t assume you can’t use a product in the winter just b/c it contains glycerin – experiment with using it under different conditions and let your hair tell you what it likes! )
some great resources: a post about our juices and winter/dry climate use at curlynikki.com, and this post about glycerin, humidity, and hair porosity at the natural mane.
16 Comment to “glycerin in winter? don’t be scared!”
thanks for the clarification. lots of conflicting info out there!
there really is camille (hi! ;o) — but don’t take our word for it either — we encourage experimentation and listening to your hair. we just feel like glycerin is too valuable an ingredient to dismiss out of hand for half of the year without giving it a try. ;o)
Thanks for the tips. I was definitely a bit confused about the conflicting views on using glycerin products during the winter months.
I looooooooooooooooooooove Vegetable Glycerin and water. The concoction makes my hair happy. My hair which is very coarse becomes so soft and moisturized its unbelievable.
I teach my clients to seal in the moisture with a heavy emollient to lock in the benefits. It works!
Heavy oils depend on specific gravity of the product, weight of the oil. For highly textured hair, that can be castor oil. For Type 2,3 hair heavy could be olive oil….
hth
@M George, Author: awesome point, m george!! we <3 castor oil around here
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Thanks for the tips. I was definitely a bit confused about the conflicting views on using glycerin products during the winter months.
can you use glycerin to seal hair after moisturizing?
Are products with glycerin safe to use on locs, will it cause build up??